10 reasons to watch UFC Fight Night 35

The UFC on Wednesday returns to Georgia, a few months shy of the two-year mark since the light-heavyweight grudge match between champ Jon Jones and Rashad Evans at UFC 145. This time around, middleweights are the main attraction.

UFC Fight Night 35’s top draws feature bouts in the 185-pound class, though only the headliner in reality offers implications for the division in the near future. A bout between former Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold and Constantinos Philippou is the closest thing to relevancy. It’s also the bout with the greatest disparity when it comes to betting lines.

Rockhold, whose UFC debut was spoiled by the surging Vitor Belfort, is as high as a 5-1 favorite to beat Philippou.

The rest of the card is heavy on fighters who are looking to establish traction in their respective weight class, and despite their lack of star power, the odds reflect a series of fairly even matches. Six fighters on the main card are in their respective division’s top 15, according to the USA TODAY/MMAjunkie MMA Power Rankings.

1. Middleweight title makeover

After closing out Strikeforce with two title defenses under his belt, Luke Rockhold (10-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) was in spitting distance of a UFC title shot when he migrated from the defunct promotion. Then Belfort concussed him with a spinning heel-kick at UFC on FX 8, and he was pushed further back in line. A win over Constantinos Philippou (12-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) isn’t a title eliminator, but if he’s able to rebound in impressive fashion, 2014 could re-solidify him as a contender.

2. Matchups make the man

Philippou’s heavy hands made him stand out early in his career, but wrestling was always a concern. After rattling off five straight victories, his deficiencies were again exposed when Francis Carmont smothered him at UFC 165. A matchup with Rockhold might not get him anywhere close to a title, but it offers a greater chance of bringing him the type of fight he likes: slugfests. That, as much as anything else, might be the best career rehab.

3. Suddenly significant co-headliner

Middleweight Brad Tavares (11-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) has made it known he’s called for matchups with marquee names, only to get shot down by his relative obscurity. And while he’s put together an impressive four-fight winning streak, the names on his resume reflect his struggle to break out from the pack. Well, according to UFC President Dana White, his co-headliner against Lorenz Larkin (14-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is the ticket to big things in the division. It’s a curious situation, but hey, it’s a storyline for a small card.

4. Bantamweight reboot

Bantamweights T.J. Dillashaw (8-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and Mike Easton (13-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) face resistance from Bellator and ONE FC standouts in the 135-pound rankings, and among the UFC’s ranks, from one Brazilian named Raphael Assuncao. They’ve both stumbled in recent outings but retain their top-15 status. The question now is who can climb back up the ladder. Dillashaw, who’s one part of the small-statured dynamo Team Alpha Male, is a 2-1 favorite to do so.

5. Forging middleweight contenders

Olympic silver medalist wrestler Yoel Romero (6-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) shows incredible potential as a striker, having knocked out his first two opponents in the UFC (Clifford Starks and Ronny Markes). At times, though, the middleweight seems a little too pleased with his work in the cage, and higher in the division, that will cost him. Derek Brunson (11-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) isn’t a top-10 guy yet, but he is a foe who will bring the fight to Romero. An out-of-the-gate knockout against Brian Houston gave Brunson a boost after a lackluster decision win over Chris Leben, and now it’s his chance to put a big feather in his cap.

6. Flyweight title contender returns

John Moraga (13-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has the unfortunate honor of kicking off flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson’s current run of stoppages. Johnson locked in an armbar when they met this past July at UFC on FOX 8, and Moraga sat out the rest of 2013 with an injury. He returns Wednesday to rebuild momentum in a bout against Dustin Ortiz (12-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who earned a first-round TKO win over Jose Maria Tome in his debut at UFC Fight Night 32. Moraga could be back in contention by the end of the year if he plays his cards right.

7. Fight or KO of the night

Fans are likely to see a stoppage when featherweights Cole Miller (20-8 MMA, 9-6 UFC) and Sam Sicilia (12-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) meet. Miller is disgruntled over his place in the 145-pound class and wants to prove he’s worthy of the attention heaped on the injured Conor McGregor. Sicilia is tired of fighting Brazilians in their home country and thinks Miller is the key to marquee opponents. It adds up to favorable circumstances for an exciting clash, with Miller potentially locking in a submission if Sicilia doesn’t KO him first.

8. ‘TUF’ times for lightweight loser

“The Ultimate Fighter 13″ veterans Ramsey Nijem (7-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) and Justin Edwards (8-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) have hit the skids in their recent UFC careers, and the loser of this fight could be facing a pink slip. Nijem, a finalist on the reality show, is on the rails after being submitted in short order by James Vick and getting brutally knocked out by Myles Jury. Edwards offered Brandon Thatch batting practice in his most recent appearance and hasn’t won more than two in a row since the show.

9. Undefeated flyweight prospect debuts

This past month, the UFC signed undefeated 125-pound fighter Louis Smolka (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who makes his octagon debut as one of the tallest guys in the division at 5-9. A stablemate of the recently victorious newcomer Russell Doane, who, like him, hails from Hawaii’s 808 Top Team, Smolka has finished all six of his pro opponents with four KO/TKOs. He meets Alptekin Ozkilic (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who makes a very short turnaround after a successful debut against Darren Uyenoyama at UFC on FOX 9.

10. The return of “The Spaniard”

Charlie Brenneman (19-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) always looked undersized for the UFC welterweight division, and despite that, he put together a 4-4 record with his only losses coming against top-shelf opposition. After dropping to the lightweight division and racking up a four-fight winning streak in regional competition, he gets another shot at the big show against standout submission grappler Beneil Dariush (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who makes his octagon debut.

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